PM asked about details of possible further attacks that involved Iran
Dan Jervis-Bardy
In something a little bit different, Anthony Albanese is participating in a Q&A on the ABC’s Instagram account.
The public broadcaster invited punters to submit questions to the PM, who is answering a selection of them live on the social media platform.
Before getting to audience questions, Albanese is asked if local authorities worked with other countries to establish Iran’s involvement in orchestrating at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
The prime minister said:
No, it was primarily Asio’s investigation and Asio came to this determination, and they advised us yesterday morning.
Albanese is asked if details about further cases of Iran involvement in antisemitic attacks, beyond the two instances disclosed on Tuesday, would be revealed.
What we want to do is to make sure that anything that we say publicly doesn’t interfere with any of the investigations, and so we will release more information when it’s appropriate going forward.
Updated at 04.32 EDT
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What we learned today: Tuesday 26 August
Well this has been quite some day of news. Where to begin this recap?
Take care. We’ll be back tomorrow.
ShareDan Jervis-Bardy
We’ve got a question on gambling advertising.
Yes or no, will the federal government finally ban them, as was recommended by a parliamentary committee chaired by the late Peta Murphy and last year’s “rapid review” into measures to prevent violence against women?
Albanese’s response?
We don’t make policy on the run.
When reminded of the two reviews and asked what’s stopping the government from acting on the recommendations, Albanese said:
What’s in our mind is the practicalities of whether people just go offshore, then there’s no revenue at all. They engage in gambling with no revenue coming back at all. And it doesn’t solve the problem.
ShareDan Jervis-Bardy
Shifting topic again, Albanese is asked if the federal government would consider the idea of allowing grandparents and nannies to access the childcare subsidy.
The idea has been raised in the past and Albanese is careful not to dismiss it out of hand.
But the prime minister stresses it would be a “very big” (and expensive) change to the system.
I understand where people are coming from with that, and we certainly respect choice and families are diverse and different, and they’ll choose different ways. But that would be a very big impost on the Commonwealth, on the taxpayer. Someone has to pay for it, and it would change the dynamic, I think, of the way that families operate, and the implications behind that could be taken in quite a few other directions as well.
ShareDan Jervis-Bardy
Switching to an entirely different topic, the PM is asked about the tax imposed on offshore gas producers known as the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (or PRRT).
Critics have long claimed the PRRT doesn’t raise enough revenue for taxpayers.
Albanese notes the government made changes to the PRRT two years ago before dismissing the need for a Norwegian-style sovereign wealth fund.
There is enormous wealth created from our resources sector. I understand that the shortcut is that some people would like those resources to not exist – that’s the truth. The argument for some of those is about PRRT, but it’s really about why don’t you stop those industries.
Updated at 04.08 EDT
Dan Jervis-Bardy
‘It is difficult to see how we are a major player in the Middle East’
Back to the PM’s Instagram appearance – next up are a couple of questions about sanctions on Israel amid its war in Gaza.
Albanese is asked if Australia will attempt to lobby the US to pressure Israel, given global efforts thus far appear to be having a “fairly limited effect” on the actions of the Netanyahu government.
It’s not up to us to put pressure on the United States. It is up to us to state what Australia’s position is very clearly. And Australia’s position has been to call for ceasefire, to call for the release of hostages, to call for a two-state solution in the long term, and to engage constructively with that the right of Israel to continue to exist with security and safety, but also the right of Palestinians to have their legitimate aspirations for their own state to be realised.
When pressed on the public’s “frustration” with the apparent ineffectiveness of statements, Albanese said:
As I’ve said, as much as people would like to think that somehow the Australian government can change the actions of the Israeli government, it is difficult to see how we are a major player in the Middle East.
Updated at 04.37 EDT
Israel praises Australia for ‘principled stand’ on Iranian regime
The official account of the embassy of Israel in Australia has shared a statement on X in response to today’s revelations:
For decades, the Iranian regime has posed a threat to Israelis and Jewish communities around the world.
Today, it became clear that this threat has reached Australian soil. The international community can no longer be complacent.
Australia has taken a principled stand, others should consider following suit.
Updated at 04.00 EDT
Labor MP says Iran’s involvement in antisemitic attacks is ‘shocking’ and ‘a new frontier’
Josh Burns, the federal member for Macnamara, said the announcement regarding the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue being directed by Iran, was “shocking and quite frightening” for the Jewish community. Finding out it was not some local actor but being a foreign government is “a new frontier”, he said.
He also acknowledged the emotions for the Iranian community today:
I want to take this opportunity also to say that the Iranian Australian community are a beautiful community. They also deeply understand what the Iranian regime is capable of and I stand in solidarity with the Iranian Australians. This is not about the proud Persian people. This is about a regime that is, frankly, attacking Australian citizens and one that has sponsored terrorism and one whose actionings need to be combatted strongly.
Labor MP Josh Burns (right) with home affairs minister Tony Burke in parliament today. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 03.57 EDT
PM asked about details of possible further attacks that involved IranDan Jervis-Bardy
In something a little bit different, Anthony Albanese is participating in a Q&A on the ABC’s Instagram account.
The public broadcaster invited punters to submit questions to the PM, who is answering a selection of them live on the social media platform.
Before getting to audience questions, Albanese is asked if local authorities worked with other countries to establish Iran’s involvement in orchestrating at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
The prime minister said:
No, it was primarily Asio’s investigation and Asio came to this determination, and they advised us yesterday morning.
Albanese is asked if details about further cases of Iran involvement in antisemitic attacks, beyond the two instances disclosed on Tuesday, would be revealed.
What we want to do is to make sure that anything that we say publicly doesn’t interfere with any of the investigations, and so we will release more information when it’s appropriate going forward.
Updated at 04.32 EDT
Tom McIlroy
Labor has no plans to change news media bargaining code despite Trump threats
Federal Labor isn’t changing its mind on plans for the news media bargaining code, despite threats today from US president Donald Trump of tough new tariffs.
Trump on Tuesday said he will impose tariffs and chip export restrictions on countries pursuing digital services taxes against big American technology companies.
He said the US and tech platforms were not the “piggy bank” or “doormat” of the world.
“Show respect to America and our amazing Tech Companies or, consider the consequences,” he wrote on social media.
The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, tells Guardian Australia there is no change to the government’s approach. Labor’s news media bargaining incentive will be a levy on digital platforms who have not renewed or initiated deals with news publishers to pay for content. A spokesperson said:
The government has been clear about the plans for the News Bargaining Incentive and we have been consulting with stakeholders from both media and digital platforms to ensure the best outcomes for Australia.
Updated at 03.50 EDT
Turnbull says Palestinians ‘deserve a state of their own’ but there are ‘good reasons’ not to recognise statehood
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has also backed the government’s moves regarding Iran today. Appearing on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Turnbull was also asked about whether Australia’s pledge to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN is the right call:
Well, look, it’s not a call that my government took and there are very good arguments for not recognising Palestine as a state, regardless of what you think about the cause of the Palestinians, and they clearly do deserve a state of their own and they do deserve to be protected from the violence that they’re suffering from at the moment.
But the problem with Palestine is that it isn’t in control of its borders. It’s effectively occupied territory, so you can make a lawyer’s argument, and a very good one, for not recognising it as a state.
I think countries that have done so – and most countries in the world have done so and now Australia is joining them – are doing so as a sign of solidarity for the Palestinian people and a sign of saying to them and to the world, we believe that you are entitled to have a state of your own. We believe in the two-state solution.
You can say it’s a gesture. You can say it’s political, but it’s an approach, a viewpoint, a position that has been taken by the overwhelming majority of countries represented in the United Nations.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/EPAShare
Updated at 03.26 EDT
Hastie says Coalition stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Labor on Iran developments
Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie has praised the government’s response to the Iran news. He’s told ABC Afternoon Briefing that “we stand with the government on this shoulder to shoulder”.
Hastie said he was briefed by Penny Wong and Tony Burke just before question time.
Updated at 03.00 EDT
Melbourne rabbi says Jewish community ‘reeling’ but ‘united’
Melbourne Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann shared his reaction to the government’s announcement that the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue was directed by Iran.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:
It’s shocking. The community is absolutely reeling. But there’s also a sense of an ‘I told you so’ moment overcoming the community.
The community has felt under attack from two days after October 7, 2023, and we’ve been begging government for more support.
In some ways, it has come. In other ways it hasn’t.
Kaltman said his community “haven’t felt safe but we’ve stayed united”.
“To now be told that it’s a foreign government involved in attacking Jewish Australians is horrific news.”
Updated at 02.50 EDT
‘It’s absolutely terrifying’
Ryvchin said he spoke to the owners of Lewis’ Continental Kitchen – the business that was targeted in one of the two incidents the government said was directed by Iran:
They were beside themselves. On one level, it brings closure, I suppose, and greater clarity as to who was responsible and why.
But knowing that a foreign regime who committed terror attacks throughout the world is targeting Australian Jews – it’s absolutely terrifying.
And there are so many layers to this. We’ve seen the involvement of organised crime. So to have so many lethal elements involved, it really has caused further terror in the community, no doubt.
Updated at 02.26 EDT
Iran Revolutionary Guard has long played ‘sinister role’ in Australia, former prisoner says
Ben Doherty
The British-Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert – who was held for 804 days by the Revolutionary Guards, most of it in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison – said the Iranian embassy in Canberra had long played a “sinister role in sponsoring the surveillance of dissidents here in Australia”.
For years now the Iranian-Australian community and other victims of the IRGC, including myself, have been literally screaming at rallies, to our local MPs, in parliamentary consultations and in reports to the national security hotline that Iranian agents are operating brazenly and with few consequences here on Australian soil.
For years now the Iranian-Australian community and other victims of the IRGC, including myself, have been literally screaming at rallies, to our local MPs, in parliamentary consultations and in reports to the national security hotline that Iranian agents are operating brazenly…
— Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (@KMooreGilbert) August 26, 2025Share
Updated at 02.49 EDT
A recap of the news about Iran and antisemitic attacks
Josh Butler
It’s been a big news day. Here’s a quick catchup on the news about Iran and antisemitic attacks:
Australia’s domestic intelligence agency Asio says it has intelligence that Iran directed at least two major antisemitic attacks in Australia in 2024: Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney on 20 October, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on 6 December.
Asio believes there are links between the alleged crimes and “commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.” Director general Mike Burgess claimed the IRGC “used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement”, but that criminals in Australia were paid to carry out these attacks.
Burgess claimed IRGC officials were “directing through a series of cut-outs, people in Australia to undertake the crimes”.
The government will legislate to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, Anthony Albanese said.
Asio believes at least two, and potentially more, of the antisemitic attacks were directed by Iran, with the aim of “messing with social cohesion in Australia”.
Iran’s ambassador to Australia has been expelled, and will have seven days to leave the country along with three other Iranian officials. However Burgess said the Iranian embassy was not involved in the attacks, nor any Iranian diplomats in Australia.
Australia has withdrawn its ambassador in Iran, and suspended operations of our embassy there; Australian diplomats are now safe in a third country, Albanese said. Australians have long been urged not to travel to Iran, and the government has repeated those warnings, recommending Australians leave Iran now if it is safe to do so.
Updated at 02.46 EDT
Jewish leader says attacks ‘sent terror through our community’
Ryvchin went on, thanking the government for the measures it has taken since the announcement:
These attacks … deliberately targeted the Jewish community, destroyed a sacred house of worship, caused millions of dollars of damage and sent terror through our community.
For many years, we have warned of the threat posed by the Iranian regime. This is a regime that not only subjugates its own people and war in the Middle East using its proxies, it has the capability and willingness to project terror throughout the world.
The entity responsible for this attack is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp and it is therefore entirely appropriate that our government has decided to designate them as a terrorist organisation in addition to expelling the Iranian ambassador. Two measures that we thank and commend the Australian government, and that we have long advocated for as well.
Updated at 02.06 EDT